The moment the dagger pierced through Ashura's chest…
Everything froze.
Ashura clutched his chest tightly. His body stiffened for a second.
His gaze slowly drifted toward Ishaan.
Blood poured from his wound. His fingers trembled as strength left them.
He gasped softly.
"…This is bad," he muttered weakly.
Around him, corpses lay scattered across the ground.
The area was partially destroyed, marks of their brutal fight visible everywhere.
Ishaan held his own chest, blood dripping slowly.
The bullet had pierced through him.
"I… need to heal… quickly…" he muttered, his voice trembling.
His eyes darted around in fear.
Then—
He froze.
"Ashura… what are you…?"
His voice cracked in disbelief.
Ashura still stood there.
No reaction. No expression.
Just him… and the blood spreading across his chest.
A drop slid from his forehead.
His clothes were torn… soaked completely in red.
Ashura slowly straightened his posture.
Then bent down, calm as ever.
His hand reached for the gun.
"…Maybe I'm injured," he muttered coldly.
He stood up again.
And raised the gun.
"But I won't break my promise."
His voice was low… and absolute.
Ishaan raised his trembling hand.
Blood kept dripping from his chest.
"You're… dangerous…" he muttered weakly.
Ashura placed his hand over his wound.
Then stepped forward… one step at a time.
Ishaan's hands gathered mana instinctively.
Energy condensed around his palms.
His gaze hardened despite the fear.
His cloak fluttered violently.
Power surged, unstable and desperate.
Ashura didn't hesitate.
He raised the gun.
He pulled the trigger.
The bullet tore through the air.
And pierced straight into Ishaan's forehead.
Ishaan stumbled.
His vision blurred instantly.
Control shattered.
The mana exploded back into his own hands.
"AHHHHH—!"
A violent blast erupted.
Smoke, fire, and pressure consumed everything.
The battlefield vanished into chaos.
Scene Shift
The bald man stared from afar.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
"Ishaan… lost…?" he muttered.
"How…?"
Ashura stood amidst the fading smoke.
He wiped the blood from his chest slowly.
A faint chuckle escaped his lips.
"Revenge completed…"
"28th kill confirmed."
A smirk formed on Ashura's lips.
Blood dripped from his forehead… down to his mouth.
"Ashura… run…" Aaron muttered weakly.
He clutched his chest tightly.
"Ahhhh—!"
He vomited blood.
Green.
The liquid hit the ground.
The surface began to melt… like burning iron.
Ashura's gaze snapped toward him.
Something felt wrong.
A chill ran down his spine.
"…This is bad," he muttered.
"Looks like Aaron was injected with the Eclipse Fruit…"
For a second—
Ashura froze.
"WUAAAH—!"
Ayush leaped toward him from above.
His fist glowed with dense mana energy.
"Golden Punch!" he roared mid-air.
The pressure around him distorted the air.
Ashura moved instantly.
He sidestepped at the last moment.
The punch crashed past him.
"…That punch…" Ashura muttered under his breath.
His eyes narrowed.
Ayush's punch slammed into the ground.
The impact cracked the wall… splitting it into two.
He clutched his fist instantly.
"Ahhh… my hand…" he cried out in pain.
Ayush slowly turned back.
His shirt was torn completely. His jeans were burned.
His face twisted in agony.
"You bastard… I'll destroy you…"
He raised his fist again.
Mana gathered violently around his hand.
Ashura reacted instantly.
Before the energy could release—
He slammed his leg straight into Ayush's throat.
"AAHHH—!"
Ayush choked violently.
His body staggered backward.
His feet struggled to find balance.
Desperately… but uselessly.
He was standing at the edge of the building.
Ashura stepped forward.
Then swept his leg cleanly.
Ayush's balance shattered completely.
"You—!" his voice broke in disbelief.
Ashura smirked coldly.
And straightened his back.
Ayush fell.
"AHHHHH—!"
His scream echoed through the air.
His body crashed to the ground below.
A sickening impact.
His body trembled violently.
His spine… shattered.
"Ash…ura…" he muffled weakly.
His eyes slowly began to close.
Scene Shift
The bald man stared from afar.
His eyes widened in shock.
His pride… crumbled in an instant.
"…How…?" he muttered.
Ashura landed softly on the ground.
He clutched his leg for a second.
"…Sorry."
"You lost… idiot."
The bald man screamed in rage.
"Ayush! Plan B!"
Ayush forced himself to stand.
Blood dripped from his mouth.
"O…okay… sir…" he coughed.
"Plan B… Self-Destruction."
His body began to glow.
Mana surged violently across his skin.
His hands lit up with unstable energy.
The air around him distorted.
If I'm going down…
I'll take you with me.
Ashura's instincts screamed.
He's going to burn everything…
Ashura straightened instantly.
Then ran.
Not away—
Toward Aaron.
Move… move… MOVE! his mind roared.
His hand gripped something tightly.
An injection.
Flashback
Anjali spoke calmly.
A faint smile on her lips.
"Ashura… if someone ever plants Eclipse Fruit in my children…"
She raised her hand.
A syringe filled with green liquid rested inside.
Her gaze turned cold.
"Use this."
"It will remove the effect…"
"And give them a temporary boost."
Present
Ashura's grip tightened around the injection.
His eyes locked onto Aaron.
Ashura ran at full speed.
His body trembled violently.
Knuckles cracked.
Bones in his legs strained under pressure.
He gasped heavily.
"I have to finish this…"
The bald man raised his gun.
"…Sorry, child."
He fired.
The bullet pierced straight into Ashura's leg.
"AHHH—!"
Ashura collapsed to the ground.
His head slammed against a rock.
Blood spread beneath him.
His vision blurred.
The world started fading.
"AHHHHHH—!"
Ayush screamed.
The energy around him began to break apart.
Reality itself felt unstable.
The air tightened.
Breathing became difficult.
"DIE, YOU BASTARD!" Ayush roared.
Ashura slowly stood up.
His gaze turned completely cold.
"I won't lose…"
"…to someone like you."
The bald man fired again.
Ashura moved.
Another bullet tore into his side.
But he didn't stop.
Something fell from his hand.
A small gift.
The present he brought for Ruhi.
Ashura froze for a split second.
His eyes lowered.
"…No."
His voice trembled slightly.
"I can't stop here."
"Ashura!" Aaron screamed.
"Don't break yourself!"
Ashura forced his body to move again.
He ran… even as his legs were breaking.
The bald man stared in shock.
"Seven bullets… and he's still running… how…?"
The pressure in the air became unbearable.
Mana surged wildly as Ayush gathered everything.
The atmosphere twisted.
Breathing itself became painful.
Ayush raised his hand.
"DIEEE YOU BASTARD!"
A white beam of energy burst from his palm.
It shot straight toward Aaron.
"Ashura Rivaan… you…!" his voice broke.
"Mo…m…" his tongue trembled.
Aaron's eyes widened in fear.
"…Ashura…"
Ashura jumped forward instantly.
"Take this—!"
He raised his hand to inject him—
But the pressure shattered the syringe.
Ashura froze for a second.
"…What…?"
The next moment—
His hand collided with Aaron.
Everything went still.
Time itself felt frozen.
We… died… Aaron's inner voice trembled.
He grabbed Ashura's hand tightly.
A violent surge of energy ran through Ashura's spine.
"AAAHHHHH—!"
Ashura screamed.
But he didn't move back.
He stepped behind Aaron.
And raised his hand forward.
The white beam reached them.
Just inches away.
Ashura closed his eyes.
"…Die…" he muttered slowly.
An orange light flickered in his palm.
Energy gathered in an instant.
A violent orange blast erupted.
It clashed directly with the white beam.
The collision shook everything.
Light swallowed the battlefield.
Orange lightning surged through Ashura's body.
"WHAAAAA—!"
Ashura's eyes widened.
The beam pushed forward… cutting straight through the white light.
Aaron stared in shock.
"Whaaaaa—!"
The orange blast surged ahead.
It struck directly.
Everything around him began to burn.
"AHHHHHHHHH—!"
The ground melted instantly.
Structures near him twisted under the heat.
The beam swallowed everything in its path.
No escape.
No resistance.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH—!"
His scream echoed… then shattered.
The explosion erupted.
Not normal.
Not human.
It tore through the battlefield.
Stronger than any blast seen before.
A massive shockwave spread outward.
Everything in its range was crushed.
The orange light shot into the sky.
Like a pillar… connecting earth and heaven.
The sound—
Was devastating.
Was dangerous.
Silence followed.
Heavy… suffocating silence.
The Explosion hit harder than reality.
Everything went black smoked atmosphere stayyed silent
In the home the atmosphere felt quiet Happy excited...
The explosion tore through the night.
For a moment… it felt stronger than reality itself.
Everything turned black.
Smoke covered the sky.
Silence.
Heavy… unnatural silence.
Scene Shift — Ashura's Home
The atmosphere felt warm.
Soft… happy… alive.
Ruhi sang with Shina, Avni, and Nyra.
Laughter filled the room.
"This is amazing…" Ruhi chuckled softly.
She held her chest as she laughed.
Shina covered her lips.
"Yeah… Ruhi's birthday is beautiful…"
Harsh stood near the window.
He sighed quietly.
"Ashura… still didn't come…"
His gaze drifted outside.
Then—
BOOM.
A massive explosion echoed through the city.
The windows trembled.
Reyansh covered his ears.
"What was that?!" he shouted.
"This noise—!" Yash winced.
"It's irritating…"
Suddenly—
The lights went out.
Darkness swallowed the room.
Silence replaced the laughter.
Avni quickly grabbed her phone.
Her breath became uneven.
Her fingers trembled.
She dialed a number.
"Hello… electric department…" her voice shook slightly.
"The lights are off…"
"…Today is my sister's birthday…"
Her tone softened.
"Please turn them on quickly…"
Meanwhile
Riya stood quietly.
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
Looks like Ashura is dead…
Her eyes gleamed.
The smile didn't reach her eyes.
Only cold excitement remained.
A soft knock echoed at the door.
"Ruhi…" someone called gently.
"I'm coming…" she replied.
They all walked toward the door together.
Neha quickly turned on her phone flashlight.
Her voice was nervous.
"Ask before opening the door…"
She looked at Ruhi seriously.
"Don't worry… we're here."
A firm, cold voice spoke.
An iron rod rested in his hand.
His grip was tight… ready.
Yash slowly pulled the door open.
The hinges creaked.
Rivaan and Rishabh stood outside.
Both quiet.
"What's wrong, guys?" Rishabh asked with a smile.
His eyes scanned everyone carefully.
"Anything happened?"
His gaze moved from face to face.
"Just the lights went off… nothing much…"
Avni replied calmly.
But fear lingered in her voice.
"Oh… don't worry."
"We're here now."
Rivaan stepped inside.
His presence filled the room.
He handed a box to Harsh.
"Take this… put it in the basement."
Harsh nodded.
"Okay, uncle."
A black BMW stopped outside the house.
The engine went silent.
The door opened slowly.
Aryan stepped out.
He shut the car door gently.
"…Are you all safe?"
He smiled.
But behind that smile—
Hatred flickered in his eyes.
Shina ran toward him instantly.
"Bhaiyya!"
She hugged him tightly.
"We're fine…"
She looked up at him.
"Are you okay?"
Shina asked softly.
Her voice carried worry.
Riya watched silently.
Mr. Aryan's plan… perfectly executed…
A faint smirk appeared again.
Ayman held Ruhi's hand.
"Who is he…?" he whispered.
Ruhi stared for a second.
Then broke her gaze.
"He's Shina's elder brother."
"Oh…" Ayman nodded slowly.
Yash clapped his hands lightly.
"Alright… let's go inside."
Everyone nodded.
"Yeah…"
🔬 Scene Shift — Laboratory
The atmosphere felt heavy.
Silence filled every corner.
Anjali sat on the chair.
She bit her nails nervously.
"He still hasn't arrived…" her voice was faint.
Her fingers trembled slightly.
She grabbed her phone.
Dialed again.
No answer.
"Aaron… where are you…?" her voice broke.
Regret hit her hard.
From behind, Emilia spoke softly.
"Should we go and find him…?"
Zara stared ahead.
Her eyes were cold.
But desperation was clear.
"Wait…"
"He'll come back… don't worry…"
"Maybe…" Ronan muttered.
He avoided eye contact.
His hands shook slightly.
"That sound…"
"It was terrifying… like an explosion…"
She glanced outside.
The world looked empty.
Dark… hollow.
"Aaron…" Anjali whispered.
Her voice desperate.
— Police Station
The atmosphere was silent.
Heavy.
Officer Roger stood up from his chair his gaze lingered around the room
Officer arsh something destroyed powerplant.
His voice was cold firm
Let's arrest that person.
Arsh replied coldly
As your command officer.
His voice was firm cold but there's a hint of nervous behind it.
Chapter 18 Ended
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